According to FBI statistics, at least seventy percent of incidents involving an active shooter, defined as one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area, took place in either a commerce or educational environment. In a study of 60 active shooter incidents, the FBI determined that 45.6 percent occurred on business premises, 24.4 percent occurred in educational environments, and 10 percent on government properties.
Businesses are increasingly seeking to insure themselves from lawsuits arising from harm caused by attacks using deadly weapons. Liability may arise or coverage may be denied for failure to implement “reasonable” active shooter policies and protocols, and to ensure they may be implemented.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified key protocols for businesses and schools to communicate to students and employees. These protocols may be referenced in determining reasonable actions that businesses, schools and governments must undertake to avoid liability arising from active shooter incidents.
The DHS has concluded that specific actions increase the probability of survival. DHS protocols require silencing of all electronic devices and using technology to communicate with police silently. In the event, that a victim is shot, DHS protocols direct the victim to apply pressure to wounded areas using available supplies. DHS also recommends that doors and windows be locked or blocked, when possible, to prevent an active shooter from entering or seeing into a room.
It is a problem known in the art that many facilities do not have silent alert systems in place to comply with DHS protocols. In facilities that have a silent alert system, victims may not know where the system is located or how to activate it. Tending to wounded individuals may be a competing priority. Critical items to control bleeding or block doors may not be available during an incident. Most importantly, it is often not possible to communicate the location of an active shooting incident while it is occurring, particularly when a shooter rapidly moves from one location to another or to know the originating location of the event to send help.
There is an unmet need for an emergency response system which can increase odds of survival during an active shooter incident by ensuring that communications, medical and tactical equipment necessary to comply with DHS services is fully functional and available at the site of the crisis.